Help! My Mom’s Android is Infested with Ads and I’m Stuck

I had a similar issue once! Head to the app settings and browse through the apps listed there. Sometimes, there can be duplicates of standard apps like Gmail. Open each one in the Play Store and see if they lead to unknown apps. If one does, that’s likely the issue, and you can uninstall it!

Here’s a method you can try: get pen and paper and try to recall when the ads pop up. Then, turn off Wi-Fi/data and check the Data usage settings. Make a list of apps that used the most data recently and compare it to what's been installed. This can help you catch the app responsible for the ads!

Honestly, I wouldn't stress too much over it. If you manage to fix it now, she might just click on something sketchy again later. Instead, consider getting her a small PC or Raspberry Pi with a firewall setup to block ads at the router level. It’s not a perfect solution, but it can help!

Make sure the default home launcher is set correctly! Go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps, and check that it’s using the built-in one. If you see another launcher app, it could be the source of the ads. Set it back to the original and uninstall any suspicious apps.

First, try going into the notification settings and disable all notifications. Then, check the app list for anything suspicious and see what apps were recently installed. Sometimes the malware comes from a less obvious source, so it's important to go through the list carefully.